Dream Lover (1993)

Ray is young, charming, successful and the owner of a prosperous architect company. However, he has recently gone through a very painful divorce. His friends try to cheer him up by showing ... See full summary »

Director:

Nicholas Kazan

Writer:

Nicholas Kazan

Stars:

James Spader, Mädchen Amick, Fredric Lehne

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Spader	...	Ray Reardon
Mädchen Amick	...	Lena Mathers
Fredric Lehne	...	Larry
Bess Armstrong	...	Elaine
Larry Miller	...	Norman
Kathleen York	...	Martha
Kate Williamson	...	Mrs. Sneeder
Tom Lillard	...	Hank Sneeder
William Shockley	...	Buddy
Carl Sundstrom	...	Officer
Irwin Keyes	...	Officer
Joel McKinnon Miller	...	Minister
Joseph Scoren	...	Martha's Lawyer (as Joseph Scorsiani)
Archie Lang	...	Judge #1
Clyde Kusatsu	...	Judge Kurita

Storyline

Ray is young, charming, successful and the owner of a prosperous architect company. However, he has recently gone through a very painful divorce. His friends try to cheer him up by showing him the positive sides of being single but for Ray marriage and stability is just too important. But when he meets Lena his gloom is quickly forgotten. She is beautiful, sensual, mysterious and he is drawn to her like a moth to a candle. They marry quickly, have their first child and Ray lives in a total bliss. But then strange incidents occur which shed some light on Lena's background. Ray slowly realizes that he hardly knows anything about her at all. Who has he really married?

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Plot Keywords:

architect | divorce | marriage | strong female character | promiscuous woman | 

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Taglines:

If you think you know your lover. Think again. Especially if she's your wife.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

6 May 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Une épouse trop parfaite

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edward R. Pressman Film, Nicita/Lloyd Productions, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 108 min (unrated)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby SR

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Ray: You threw away the bill.
Lena: What bill?
Ray: HOTEL CHANTECLER EVERY FUCKING WEDNESDAY!

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Soundtracks

"MAMA, MAMA"
Written by Vincent Taylor
Performed by Jah Messengers
Courtesy of Heartbeat Records

User Reviews

A wonderful, overlooked suspense film

It's too bad that bigger budget Hollywood fare often obscures movies that are far better such as this. I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this film as I'd not heard much about it, but was totally captivated by it.

The performances from James Spader and the achingly beautiful Mädchen Amick are first rate, and the script is flawless. A lot of the plot feels like a rehash of Hitchcock, but it's done incredibly well, and hey, if you're going to steal from someone, might as well steal from the best.

The twists and turns really work, and take the viewer along for the ride as well. You'll find your own mind working along with the script, trying to unravel the mystery.

It's a shame this film didn't receive more publicity, as all the elements are there for this to have been a real hit. Instead, it remains one of my favorite little gems of a film... one of those that few people know about, but when they see it they think it's a great film as well.

An added bonus is that the home video version contains a few minutes of extra "steamy" scenes that were cut from theaters.

I think this film is an underappreciated modern-day classic, and I urge everyone to check it out.